We were kindly invited (AD – PR visit) to visit Dinosaurs in the Park at their Northampton location, Delapre Abbey, for a day out this summer. My two year old, Jett, is dinosaur mad and so this was the perfect family day out for us! It’s a little outside our stomping ground of Buckinghamshire, but it’s worth the journey.
There are a whopping 35 lifesize animatronic dinosaurs to see, as well as a dino fun zone at the end of the trail.
Upon entry, little one’s are given a free activity trail pack to complete. Make sure you trade this in for a free prize at the end of the trail!
Dinosaurs in the Park is a brilliant experience for dinosaur lovers of all ages, and there’s lots to talk about. If you’re planning a trip, I’ve got you covered – here is all you need to know!
Dinosaurs in the Park – key information
Dinosaurs in the Park moves around from location to location, so make sure you check their website to find out where they are going to next.
The experience is open from 10am-6pm weekdays and 10am-7pm on weekends. If you enter after 3pm, you get 20% off your ticket price. The trail can easily be completed within an hour, so this is a great deal to make use of if you’re on a budget!
Tickets can be booked online in advance or bought on the door. They are a little steep in price, costing £10.50 off peak and £12.50 during peak times. Under 3’s go in for free. There are some family ticket offers available, with discounted rates for families of four, for example.
The trail is accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. However, if it’s been raining, the grounds may be muddy which would make navigating the trail a little trickier.
Parking is available at each of the trails. At Delapre Abbey, it cost £3, but check ahead with other locations as it will vary from site to site.
Amenities at Dinosaurs in the Park
At the Northampton location, Delapre Abbey, there were two portaloos at the end of the trail. These weren’t ideal for taking a small child into, and they weren’t accessible for wheelchair users either. However, there are additional toilets a little further ahead in the fun zone which are accessible, as well as a ‘luxury toilet block’ which is much better for taking little ones into.
Food and drink is available in the fun zone at the end of the trail, however it isn’t included in ticket price. It’s stereotypical funfair food – pizzas, burgers, hotdogs, ice creams, donuts and so on. However, you’re welcome to bring your own picnic, which is what we did! There are plenty of open spaces along the trail where you can sit out the way of the main path, and have a bite to eat.
Why not make a dinosaur themed picnic? I have four super easy, low effort dinosaur themed snack ideas here.
What’s in the dinosaur fun zone?
Once you’ve completed the trail, you’re free to explore the dinosaur fun zone. Here you’ll find an abundance of prehistoric themed activities, including fossil hunting, a dinosaur bouncy castle, dinosaur mini golf, a ferris wheel, a mini roller coaster and even a giant T-Rex whose teeth you can brush!
There is also a gift shop, where you can buy an abundance of dinosaur themed gifts.
Whilst the bouncy castle was free, as was the T-Rex teeth brushing, you need to pay for all other activities.
Dinosaurs in the Park – my thoughts!
The dinosaur trail was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. As you wait to enter, there is atmospheric music playing, and the entrance looks a bit like the entrance to Jurassic Park which is pretty cool.
Once you’re through the entrance, you are into wild woodland, and on the lookout for the dinosaurs. Various sound effects play all around the trail, roaring and growling, which contributes to the effect of the trail and definitely makes it seem more realistic to little ones!
The dinosaurs themselves are fantastic. They’re life size (which is just unbelievable when you see how big they are!) and they move, which the kiddies love! Jett was a little wary of some of the bigger ones, bless him.
The dinosaurs are also really nicely spaced out. This means there is never a massive crowd around one particular dinosaur, which makes taking a photo with each creature nice and easy. No battling for a good selfie spot here!
The trail took about an hour to complete, but this was because we weren’t making use of the fact boards. Older children will definitely want to take advantage of the fact boards! They’re full of info about each dinosaur and have scannable QR codes to find out more. This would definitely increase the time it takes to complete the trail.
It was slightly disappointing that you had to pay for extra activities in the fun zone. You can’t avoid the fun zone, you have to walk through it to leave. If you’ve got kids who want to do everything it makes for a tricky situation! Obviously there are a couple of free one’s to do, but it would be good if they were all included in the ticket price, as the tickets do cost quite a lot.
So is it worth the trip?
Although the tickets are quite expensive, it really is a cool activity to do with kids. I would visit again simply because Jett loved it so much. If you have a child who loves dinosaurs, this is a brilliant day out, and if you can afford it, I’d recommend visiting. Just make sure they’ve got their pocket money for the fun zone at the end!
For more info, make sure you visit the FAQ’s page on the Dinosaurs in the Park website!
You can visit Dinosaurs in the Park come rain or shine, and it can be enjoyed by children (and adults!) of all ages.
Thank you so much to Dinosaurs in the Park for inviting us along – we had a great day!
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